Red Bull Racing

- Published on Dec 12th, 2010 by The Badger

Dietrich Mateschitz's Red Bull brand has been involved with F1 as a sponsor since the mid-nineties, but it wasn't until 2005 that the multi-billionaire Austrian put a fully backed team on the grid. The collapse of Jaguar's F1 project provided him with an opportunity, and he duly bought and rejuvenated the mismanaged outfit.

With the young but talented Christian Horner as team principal and the experienced David Coulthard taking lead driver duties the team was up and running quickly, scoring their first points at their first race and their first podium at Monaco in their second campaign.

 

Coulthard was joined by Mark Webber in 2007, whilst Adrian Newey joined as technical boss, as the team really began to take shape. However it wasn't until 2009 - when Webber was joined by Sebastian Vettel - that the team truly took off. The young German claimed their maiden win in China and added more in Britain, Japan and Abu Dhabi on his way to second in the drivers' championship, whilst Webber added a further two wins to cement runner-up spot in the constructors' standings.

2010 took them to the next step: world domination. Their RB6 was the class of the field, scoring 15 poles and nine wins as Vettel and Webber finished first and third in the drivers' standings and the team took a convincing constructors title. From a failing team to champions in just five years, Red Bull have shown what a lot of hard work, hard cash and a full-scale genius in the shape of Newey can achieve. The next challange may be their biggest yet: to repeat their success and build a real racing legacy.